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 56 A HISTORY OF HINDI LITERATURE which Tulsi Das sometimes makes, and the frequent hymns he inserts, may be to some extent a drawback to the literary value of the Rdmdyan, but they are excused by the purpose which Tulsi Das had in view. In these hymns the powers of Tulsi Das as a poet are manifest, and even those who do not accept his reli- gious ideas cannot but admire the spiritual earnestness which the hymns display. The following is from the Bdl Kdiid: — " To the King of heaven be all glory given, refuge of creation in distress and care, Priests and kine befriending, hell's brief triumph ending, best beloved of Lakshmi, Ocean's daughter fair. Heaven and earth's upholder, who, than all men bolder, dares to scan the secret of thy strange mysterious way ? Ever kind and loving, humble souls approving, may thy gracious favour reach now to me, I pray. Spirit all-pervading, fleshly sense evading, hail Mukund immortal, lord of blissfulness supreme. -^ Ever pure and holy, whom the Queen of Folly has no power to tangle in her world-deluding dream. Glory, glory, glorj', theme of endless story, sung by saints and sages in an ecstasy of love. Daily, nightly gazing on the sight amazing, source of every blessing, Hari, lord of heaven above. Triune incarnation, who at earth's creation, wert alone presiding, and other aid was none ; Though in prayer unable, and my faith unstable, O great sin- destroyer, hear our hapless moan. Life's alarms dispelling, all disasters quelling, comfort of the faithful, be our succour now ; All the gods implore thee, falling low before thee, with unfeigned submission of body, soul, and vow. Lord God Bhagavana, Ved and eke Purana, Sarada and Seshnag, and all the saintly throng, Find the theme too spacious, only know thee gracious ; hasten then to help us in our hour of wrong. In all grace excelling, Beauty's chosen dwelling, ark on life's dark ocean, home of all most sweet, God and saints and sages, now this tempest rages, fly in consterna- tion to clasp thy lotus feet."^ The Rdmdyan is undoubtedly a great poem, worthy to rank amongst the great classical masterpieces of the world's literature. It is not indeed without its literary
 * Translation by Mr. F. S. Growse.